Air conditioning apparatus for yachts and the like



Nov. 19, 1963 w. D. AMMONS AIR CONDITIONING APPARATUS FOR YACHTS AND THE LIKE Filed 0015- 3, 1962 JVNF INVENTOR WALTER D. AMMONS ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,111,013 AIR CON DITIONING APPARATUS FOR YACHTS AN D THE LIKE Walter D. Ammons, 2020 SW. 18th Ave., Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Filed Oct. 3, 1962, Ser. No. 228,136 2 Claims. (Cl. 62F-419) This invention relates to an air conditioning apparatus adapted for installation in boats, yachts and other like places where space is at a premium and where cooling water is readily available for circulation through the condenser unit of the system to carry away the heat which is generated during operation thereof. More particularly, the present improvements are concerned with the enclosing cabinet for such an apparatus whereby its operating units are disposed therein for operation to maximum advantage while occupying the minimum of space therewithin.

Because the space in a yacht cabin or salon is rather limited, the addition of a cabineted air conditioning apparatus involves special problems. It is a primary requirement that, when installed, the cabinet should occupy only the minimum of space. This is almost always adjacent a partition or bulkhead, and often in a corner. As a result, there is little or no intervening space available for air to enter into the cabinet from the rear to be circulated therethrou-gh, and while so circulated to be relieved of a substantial part of its humidity and high temperature preliminary to its discharge through a grilled opening in the cabinet front. Furthermore, in a boat or yacht, due to its rocking or rolling movements in a rough sea, there is need for anchoring such a cabinet removably in a fixed position and, while so anchored, for facile withdrawal of its filter unit for cleaning or replacement. It is also desirable that connections be extended invisibly from the rear of the cabinet to a water supply system whereby to circulate the Water through or adjacent the air conditioning condenser unit to carry away a large part of the heat incident to its operation. All of these objectives are realized in full measure by the special cabinet construction herein to be described, and without increase in its cost or size or decrease in the operating efliciency of the air conditioning apparatus contained therein.

In the accompanying drawing there is illustrated a preferred exemplification of my invention in the following manner:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the air conditioning cabinet, looking toward its top, rear and one side, and showing in dotted lines the filter unit as partly withdrawn therefrom.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view thereof, looking toward its top, front and one side, and showing one end of the filter unit exposed through the slot provided for its reception.

FIG. 3 is a vertical section through the cabinet, taken on line 3-3 of FIG. =1.

FIG. 4 is a vertical section through the cabinet, taken substantially on line '44 of FIG. 3.

The cabinet herein illustrated is unique in that it is designed specially to accommodate the several uni-ts of an air conditioning apparatus which is adapted for installation in a boat or yacht where space is limited, the boa-t movements are erratic, and cooling water is readily available for circulation through the condenser forming part of the apparatus. As shown, the cabinet comprises a front wall joined to spaced side walls 11 and to a top 12 provided with a marginal retaining wall 14; it also includes a bottom 15 fixedly supported slightly above the bottom edges of the front and side walls which are adapted to rest upon the surface a of the floor of the cabin or other room wherein the cabinet is to be installed. Inte-rmediately of the top and bottom is a fixedly supported shelf 16 whereby to define two compartments, one upper and one lower, the latter being provided upon its rear open side with a closure panel 17 of plywood or the like which, by means of screws 18, may be removably secured in place against stops 19 within which the screws are anchored.

The front wall 10 torwardly of the upper compartment is formed with a large opening 20 wherein is fitted a discharge grill 21 -(see FIG. 3). The rear open side of the same compartment is normally closed by a filter unit 22, usuflly a framed sheet of fiberglass or the like. Such a filter whose horizontal dimension approximates the overall width of the cabinet is slidable through either of two slots 23 (FIG. 2), one in each cabinet wall v11, to rest in a groove 24 :(FIG. 3) extending crosswise of the shelf 16 by which it is guided when moved to closure position. Vertical support for the filter is assured by its engagement with the side wall edges which define the slots 23, and the removal or repositioning of the filter may be accomplished conveniently by a horizontal movement thereof in either direction. This is an advantageous feature, particularly in close quarters where space is limited.

The positions of the groove 24 and of the slots 23 in the two sides 11 are substantially inwardly of a plane coincident with the rear edges of the latter and of the top 12 and shelf 16 whereby the filter unit 22 is also located inwardly thereof. Also the cabinet side walls 11, intermediately of the top and shelf, are recessed inwardly at 25 with an eye-pleasing contour to provide side openings through which air may freely circulate when the cabinet is positioned with its rear side closely adjacent the face [1 of a partition or bulkhead of the yacht whereon it is installed.

Within a cabinet of this general description is secured all the operating units of an air conditioning apparatus which are arranged both above and below the shelf. Mounted upon the cabinet bottom 15 within the lower compartment is a motorcompressor unit contained within a suitable housing 27 on which may be supported the usual thermal protector 28 and pressure control 29 in operative connection therewith. Adjacent the housing 27 and in connection as at 30 with the compressor therein is a condenser 31 whose coils are desirably jacketed for circulation therethrough of cooling water entering and leaving at spaced points where nipples 32 and 33 are provided. Flexible hose connections 34 and 35 are extended from these nipples in excess lengths through slots 36 in the closure panel 17 to water intakes and discharge valves (not shown) of the boat wherein the air conditioning system is installed for operation.

The coolant circulated from the compressor through to the condenser coils 31 passes through a filter drier 37, then on through a capillary tube or automatic expansion valve 33, both disposed wholly or mostly within the lower compartment, before entering a tube 39 which extends upwardly through the shelf 16 to connect with an evaporator coil unit 40 which is located in the forward section of the cabinet upper compartment. This evaporator may conveniently be unitized with a fan 41 carried upon the shaft of a motor 42 which is bracket-mounted on a frame 43 whet-eon the evaporator unit is also supported, the frame being removably secured to the shelf 16 so as to permit withdrawal of the fan-evaporator unit should any servicing or replacement of either of them ever become necessary. A return tube 44 leading from a high-up point on the evaporator downwardly through the shelf 16 connects with the compressor 27 to complete the coolant circuit. The motor-compressor and fan are both electrically-operated, conduits 45 extended through a slot 45 in the closure panel 17 leading from a current source to these units, through suitable controls, switches and connections.

The air conditioning system herein described is housed within a cabinet which is particularly adapted for use in boats and yachts where a special environment is encountered. Space being scarce, the cabinet is designed for positioning closely adjacent a partition or bulkhead, or within a corner, where water connections may conveniently be made available. Desirably the cabinet is removably secured to the floor whereon it stands or to the partition which it adjoins so as to remain in a fixed position regardless of movements of the boat itself. Adequate ventilation into and through the cabinet upper compartment is assured by the open spaces through the openings rearwardly of the side wall recesses 25. These same side openings, one or both of them, also assure adequate space for inflow of air through the filter unit 22 when drawn into the upper compartment by the revolving fan 41 for forward circulation therethrough and past the coils of the evaporator 40 where the air is relieved of much of its moisture and high temperature before discharge from the cabinet through the grilled opening upon the front side thereof.

It is to be noted that little or no space intervenes between the face b of the partition or bulkhead and the confronting rear side of the cabinet. The size of the recesses 25 through the cabinet sides should be large enough for an adequate volume of air to enter therethrough for for- Ward circulation through the upper compartment for discharge thereof, in a cooled state, from the front side of the cabinet. Furthermore, the heat generated in the lower compartment by the compressor and condenser units is largely removed therefrom by the water circulated through the latter and educted from the cabinet by a hose connection which may have a high insulation value. In addition, vents 26 through the step in the rear end portion of the shelf 16 permit upflowing warm air within the cabinet lower compartment to escape into the open space rearwardly of the filter unit 22. Any substantial retention of heat within the space forwardly of the closure panel 17 is thereby avoided, the result being that only room-temperature air is drawn into the cabinet through its side openings 25 preliminary to circulation past the evaporator unit in the upper compartment.

An air conditioning apparatus so assembled in a cabinet of the kind described is advantageous in that (1) the fan-evaporator unit which occupies the forward section of the upper compartment requires a lesser front-to-back space than do the several units arranged in the lower compartment, even if the motor-compressor be a self-contained, single-cylinder, hermetic unit, and (2) the heat generated by the apparatus, when in operation, originates mainly within the lower compartment from which it is transferred to a water circulating system for eduction from the cabinet through a conduit which may be insulated. Because of these space and temperature differentials, I have completely separated the two compartments of the cabinet, arranging the two-sections one above the other to provide at the rear end portion of the shelf a horizontal step at the cabinet rear. From this step to the cabinet top there is formed a space rearwardly of the filter which is open at opposite sides where the cabinet walls are recessed, thereby providing generous inlets for room air toenter and be drawn first into the rear section of the upper compartment where it is then taken through the filter and advanced past the evaporator for discharge from the cabinet front at a much reduced temperature. The presence of these air inlets, being scarcely noticeable, is unobjectionable since their contour may be skillfully harmonized with the general design of the cabinet which, in turn, is desirably matched in material and finish with the prevailing trim or woodwork in the cabin, salon or room where the cabinet is to be inconspicuously installed.

I claim:

1. An air conditioning unit, comprising in combination, a cabinet having top, bottom, front, rear and side walls, a partitioning shelf wall disposed horizontally within the area defined by said front, rear and side walls, and dividing the structure to provide an upper compartment and a lower compartment, said rear wall having a top terminating at said shelf wall, said cabinet embodying only the said upper and lower compartments, one of said side walls having a vertical slot therein at a location forwardly of the vertical plane of said rear wall and extending from said shelf wall to said top wall, a vertical filter unit insertable in said slot and dimensioned to fully vertically partition said upper compartment to divide the latter into a forward large area and a rearward smaller area, the smaller area having a fully open rear side, said front wall having an air discharge opening leading from said forward area, at least one of said side walls having an air admission opening leading into said rearward area, and air conditioning apparatus comprising a compressor and a water jacketed condenser unit housed in said lower compartment and a fan-evaporator unit operatively connected with the compressor-condenser unit and housed in the forward area of said upper compartment, said condenser unit being positioned between the compressor unit and said shelf wall, the evaporator being vertically interpositioned between said filter unit and the fan, said shelf wall having a venting opening therein for and leading from said lower compartment into said rearward area and located to cause heated air flowing thereto from the compressor to pass across the condenser unit water jacket, the said lower compartment being otherwise completely closed. 1

2. The invention according to claim 1, wherein the said fan evaporator unit is mounted on a common supporting frame removably secured to and supported on said shelf wall, and said frame and the fan evaporator unit mounted thereon being fully removable through said open rear of said rearward area upon removal of the partitioning filter unit.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,116,373 Williams May 10, 1938 "lean-em 

1. AN AIR CONDITIONING UNIT, COMPRISING IN COMBINATION, A CABINET HAVING TOP, BOTTOM, FRONT, REAR AND SIDE WALLS, A PARTITIONING SHELF WALL DISPOSED HORIZONTALLY WITHIN THE AREA DEFINED BY SAID FRONT, REAR AND SIDE WALLS, AND DIVIDING THE STRUCTURE TO PROVIDE AN UPPER COMPARTMENT AND A LOWER COMPARTMENT, SAID REAR WALL HAVING A TOP TERMINATING AT SAID SHELF WALL, SAID CABINET EMBODYING ONLY THE SAID UPPER AND LOWER COMPARTMENTS, ONE OF SAID SIDE WALLS HAVING A VERTICAL SLOT THEREIN AT A LOCATION FORWARDLY OF THE VERTICAL PLANE OF SAID REAR WALL AND EXTENDING FROM SAID SHELF WALL TO SAID TOP WALL, A VERTICAL FILTER UNIT INSERTABLE IN SAID SLOT AND DIMENSIONED TO FULLY VERTICALLY PARTITION SAID UPPER COMPARTMENT TO DIVIDE THE LATTER INTO A FORWARD LARGE AREA AND A REARWARD SMALLER AREA, THE SMALLER AREA HAVING A FULLY OPEN REAR SIDE, SAID FRONT WALL HAVING AN AIR DISCHARGE OPENING LEADING FROM SAID FORWARD AREA, AT LEAST ONE OF SAID SIDE WALLS HAVING AN AIR ADMISSION OPENING LEADING INTO SAID REARWARD AREA, AND AIR CONDITIONING APPARATUS COMPRISING A COMPRESSOR AND A WATER JACKETED CONDENSER UNIT HOUSED IN SAID LOWER COMPARTMENT AND A FAN-EVAPORATOR UNIT OPERATIVELY CONNECTED WITH THE COMPRESSOR-CONDENSER UNIT AND HOUSED IN THE FORWARD AREA OF SAID UPPER COMPARTMENT, SAID CONDENSER UNIT BEING POSITIONED BETWEEN THE COMPRESSOR UNIT AND SAID SHELF WALL, THE EVAPORATOR BEING VERTICALLY INTERPOSITIONED BETWEEN SAID FILTER UNIT AND THE FAN, SAID SHELF WALL HAVING A VENTING OPENING THEREIN FOR AND LEADING FROM SAID LOWER COMPARTMENT INTO SAID REARWARD AREA AND LOCATED TO CAUSE HEATED AIR FLOWING THERETO FROM THE COMPRESSOR TO PASS ACROSS THE CONDENSER UNIT WATER JACKET, THE SAID LOWER COMPARTMENT BEING OTHERWISE COMPLETELY CLOSED. 